Trogs
Born cold and alone, Trogs have only themselves in this world. Their entire hierarchy is based around who can eat whom. If a Trog can reach adulthood, they have already consumed ten or more of their brethren. For this reason, their villages rarely rise beyond swamp dwellings, officials within the town constantly being replaced by those that consumed them. They have no concept of family, no fear of death, and only respect those that they can’t yet devour. It is said that no Trog ever dies of age. Trogs come in a few varieties, some slick and smooth and others hard and thorny. They all have a very similar stature and size though, standing no more than 4 feet tall and weighing around 100 pounds. From a distance, they appear to be little more than a mouth with arms and legs. Up close, this proves to be an accurate description. A Trog’s mouth and throat seem to comprise about a third of their entire body. They can open this mouth to devour things even larger than their own body, which they enjoy doing very much. Their girth will expand greatly to encompass this new mass, but their stretching does have a limit. Their ability to consume is not their only talent. By the time a Trog reaches maturity they are already skilled in melee combat. Despite their small frame and light bones, they pack a shocking punch. A Trog is an awesome ally to have, provided you can keep them from trying to eat you or your friends. This is easier said than done. Spiny Spiny Trogs are dry and sharp. Their bodies have adapted to desert climates, needing almost no water to survive. The derive nearly all the moisture they need from the blood of their food. They are excellent hunters and feel their best under a scorching sun. Their skin is brown and covered in warts and small thorns, making them difficult food for anything except another Spiny Trog. Slimy Slimy Trogs have smooth and wet skin. The reside mostly in swamps, by rivers, and near the ocean. They can come in any color, though it is always a bright and vibrant one; which serves as a natural deterrent against predators. They are the smartest of the species, making small tools or trinkets to help them hunt for prey or gain an advantage over other Trogs. There have even been some artists to come from this subspecies, though they are very rare. Bony Bony Trogs are outcasts among their own kind. Cursed from birth to never be fulfilled, in stomach or spirit. Long ago, the Trogs came into contact with a time-travelling amphibian god hero. The god was so distraught at the ravenous Trogs within this dimension that he laid this terrible curse upon them. Thankfully, the Trogs reproduce so quickly they broke past the curse by sheer attrition. However, sometimes it comes back, infecting an entire group of tadpoles. These Trogs take on ashen colors and are horribly skinny. Their bones jut out from their bodies in grotesque ways. Bony Trogs will never gain fat, as their food turns to ashes before they can finish digesting it. They often die of starvation before anything else can kill them.